House panel probes role of hydropower, transmission upgrades in energy infrastructure plans

The future of hydropower and the nation’s transmission network were the focuses of a House committee hearing on Tuesday that explored ways to improve energy infrastructure.

Tuesday’s hearing was part of an ongoing series held by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy on strategies to modernize the nation’s infrastructure. During the 115th Congress alone, the committee has held 47 hearings on infrastructure.

“Since the start of the 115th Congress, this committee has held dozens of hearings relating to infrastructure, and the House has already passed legislation on interstate pipeline siting, hydropower licensing and the development of cross-border energy infrastructure,” U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the chairman of the subcommittee, said. “That being said, this committee’s infrastructure efforts are ongoing as there is no question that more needs to get done and more projects need to be built. If we are to deliver our nation’s abundant energy resources to consumers in a reliable, efficient and cost-effective manner, new electric transmission lines and natural gas pipelines must be constructed.”

John Devine, senior vice president of HDR Inc., testified that hydropower will play an important role in the nation’s future energy plans. He called on Congress to support an infrastructure package and policies that preserve and upgrade existing hydropower systems.

“A greater recognition that our hydropower infrastructure is incredibly valuable is needed, and continued investment and reinvestment in the system is critical to our energy future and national security,” Devine said.

Jim Ross, the director of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Construction and Maintenance Department, noted that large-scale solar installations, hydropower projects, and wind farms would only be as effective as the transmission networks that they rely on.

“New investment in the transmission network is a necessary component of these renewable energy projects,” Ross said. “It is also important to support legislation that would streamline permitting and siting processes.”

Brian Slocum, the vice president of ITC Holdings Corp., testified that the two main takeaways from the hearing were that investment is needed in the transmission grid and that a supportive regulatory approval environment would help bring about private sector investments.